Squeezing in the Favorites before we go home

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Last day of the festival and the day we check-out. Of course it is the first morning that I sleep until 8am. Breakfast, showers, packing it is a whirlwind. We remembered to say goodbye to Liz, the breakfast lady, and I thanked Jeannette at the front desk for all of her help. I get the ladies suitcases and my own things on out to the van and at 10am drive over to the other hotel to pick up Tyler. Luckily Milliken has decided to source his own transportation to the airport so that saves an hour or so of my day. Milliken has already headed out to the casino to try and recoup his losses or to the fest. Not sure and we don't see him for the rest of the day. Tossing Tyler's bag in the car it is back to the Hampton Inn on Carondelet where Tyler stays with Abcde in her car seat while I go up and down the escalator, bringing down what bags are left as Wife finishes filling them. Car loaded Vallery suggests going ahead and hitting the road. I take a vote and she is quickly voted down. We need more fest. Plus we have not said Goodbye to Jeff, Sue, Joe and Ryan. And I have not had my favorite PoBoy.


John Boutte 11:15am Jackson Square Stage
During his school days John played coronet and trumpet, those clarions of life in New Orleans, in his junior high and high school marching bands; he was a section leader. In recent times he has recorded three CD’s. Through the Eyes of A Child, Scotch and Soda, and the remarkable Jambalaya, recorded for Bose. Yet another CD entitled Gospel United, a concert recording arranged in Denmark, contains his remarkable solo arrangement of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”, which has achieved Gold Record status in several European markets. Boutté also worked with ex-Cowboy Mouth guitarist and singer, Paul Sanchez which led to a collaborated effort Stew Called New Orleans released in 2009. Boutté was also featured on John Scofield’s 2009 album, Piety Street, singing the lead on three tracks. His song “Treme Song” on his Jambalaya album is the theme song of HBO’s series, Treme.

My favorite PoBoy

We showed up late but Jeff and Sue had saved us seat space on one of the benches of Jackson Square. Eventually Ryan and Joe arrived and joined us, they would have been sooner but Ryan needed a hand drawn selfie as his hair looked extra good that day.


Leroy Jones and New Orleans Finest 12:45pm Jackson Square Stage
The legendary jazz trumpeter Leroy Jones is known to music lovers as the “keeper of the flame” for traditional New Orleans jazz and to critics as one of the top musicians ever produced by the Crescent City. A regular at Preservation Hall in New Orleans and a featured performer in the Harry Connick Orchestra, where his playing and singing have made him a crowd favorite, Leroy has performed on every continent and in every major U.S. city at prestigious theaters, festivals and jazz clubs. Jones playing has been described as a blend of Louis Armstrong and bebop virtuoso Clifford Brown.




During Leroy Jones and New Orleans Finest I began to get hungry. Jeff and Sue had talked about trying to take us to a restaurant for brunch or lunch but really we had gotten out of the hotel so late that we just didn't have the time. They still wanted to do something for us and decided to have a caricature of Abcde made. Jeff, Sue, Ryan, and Caroline went just outside the square and disappeared. For like 30 minutes. Joe and I were starting to get worried, he wanted to hit the road and I wanted to make it to the food tents by the GE Big River Stage before we had to do the same. Finally the 5 of them reappeared and we said our goodbyes and went our different directions. Lucky Jeff and Sue were staying one more night and would get to see the festival to its conclusion, their Palm Sunday celebration would be the Symphony Chorus of New Orleans at St. Marys. Ryan and Joe went to grab a trolley back to their hotel and head back to FL. Tyler, Caroline, Abcde and I headed to the riverfront in search of meat pies, poboys and steak sliders. We found one of the many Mrs. Wheat's Meat Pies behind the Aquarium and Tyler got his fix. I found Boucherie and Jack Ruby's side by side near the Big River stage and after a quick wait in line we all were enjoying some of the best food we had ever found at the Fest. Except for Abcde, she would eat none of it.




Micah Mckee and Little Maker 2:00pm GE Digital Big River Stage
Little Maker is the solo project of New Orleans-native singer/songwriter Micah McKee (Empress Hotel, Silent Cinema). With an ensemble cast of musicians, Little Maker is a tribute to pop music’s present unraveling and rock and roll’s folk-speckled and rustic past. Using lush violin lines and vividly nostalgic horn blasts, McKee’s ensemble amplifies the stark lyrical and melodic earnestness.

I didn't get to stay for much of the show but I wish I could have, they started out rocking. I hoofed it up Canal and got the van out of valet and then drove back down Canal to Harrah's, where we were to meet under the porte-cochère. On my way back Caroline texted that she, Tyler and Abs were there but no sign of the purple ladies. That's ok I thought, they still had 15 minutes before they would be late. Tyler and I attached the saddlebag and loaded our remaining chairs (he had not replaced his since losing the one he brought) and the stroller. I changes Abs and we waited and tried repeatedly to get ahold of the women. Last we had heard was at 2:45 they were at Royal and St. Ann's waiting for a pedicab. After googling directions I realized I could likely get to them faster than waiting where we were blocking traffic at Harrah's. Still unable to get them to answer the phone we headed back to the hotel, not because we needed to be there in particular but because it was as good a point as any to go get them. Tyler was hungry and thirsty and so ran into Brother's and got some fried fish and a drink. It was still excellent as it was the night before when Caroline and Joe had made a food run when we got back to the hotel. Still no answer to the phone at 3:20 we headed back toward Harrah's, expecting to see a pedicab driver near death from hauling those two a dozen blocks. One block away from the casino Vallery calls and asks where we are. I say we will be right there and after persuading a nice lady to move the fence that was now blockading the drive, we rolled up. 2 minutes later, Joyce's walker is in the saddlebag and we are on our way out of town. I think we made it 5o miles before our first bathroom break.

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